Kneir.
If he had gone politely to the Commander——
Geert.
Hahaha! You should have been a sailor, Mother—Hahaha! Politely? They were too glad of the chance to clip and shear me. While I was in the provost they found newspapers in my bag I was not allowed to read—and pamphlets I was not allowed to read—that shut the door—otherwise they would have given me only third class——
Kneir.
Newspapers you were not allowed to read? Then why did you read them?
Geert.
Why—simple soul—Ach!—when I look at your submissive face I see no way to tell why—Why do men desert?—Why, ten days before this happened to me, did Peter the stoker cut off his two fingers?—Just for a joke? No, on purpose! I can’t blame you people—you knew no better—and I admired the uniform—But now that I’ve got some brains I would like to warn every boy that binds himself for fourteen years to murder.
Kneir.